Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD Shares Bought by Royce & Associates LP

Royce & Associates LP raised its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 486,093 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 54,344 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP owned 1.43% of Walker & Dunlop worth $40,647,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,743,034 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $312,993,000 after buying an additional 16,392 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 771,212 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $54,361,000 after acquiring an additional 21,446 shares during the last quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 147.7% in the third quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 537,338 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $44,932,000 after acquiring an additional 320,425 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the second quarter worth $30,422,000. Finally, Tributary Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 93.2% during the third quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC now owns 325,282 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,200,000 after purchasing an additional 156,944 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 3.3%

Shares of Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $45.88 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a PE ratio of 27.97 and a beta of 1.55. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a twelve month low of $42.12 and a twelve month high of $90.00. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $61.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $71.69.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by ($1.18). The business had revenue of $340.02 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $343.66 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 4.56% and a return on equity of 6.80%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.68 per share. This is a boost from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 163.41%.

Key Walker & Dunlop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walker & Dunlop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.68 (1.5% increase), implying a ~5.7% yield — supports income investors and can underpin the share base.
• Positive Sentiment: Management provided 2026 EPS guidance of $3.50–$4.00 and said it will accelerate asset sales to shore up earnings and pursue market‑share growth; this signals a path to restore profitability (may be seen as constructive if execution follows). Walker & Dunlop outlines $3.50–$4.00 EPS guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut its price target from $80 to $65 but kept an “outperform” rating — still signals upside vs. current levels, though the lower target reduces near‑term analyst support. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference call and transcript / slide deck are available for investors to assess management’s explanation of the quarter and details on asset sales and capital allocation. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed heavily: reported $0.28 vs. consensus ~$1.46 (a ~$1.18 shortfall); revenue of $340.0M slightly missed estimates — the large EPS miss is the primary catalyst for the decline and raises near‑term execution concerns. MarketBeat earnings summary
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary notes shares are falling on the results; the stock is trading well below its 50‑day and 200‑day moving averages and nearer its one‑year low, which can amplify downside while investors reassess valuation and the timing of asset sales. Why Walker & Dunlop Shares Are Falling Today

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on Walker & Dunlop from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a report on Friday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $75.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $81.25.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop is one of the largest providers of commercial real estate finance in the United States, specializing in the origination, servicing and sale of loans secured by multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare, student housing and manufactured housing properties. The firm offers a full suite of debt and equity solutions, including agency financing through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, HUD and FHA-insured loans, bridge and construction financing, mezzanine debt, preferred equity, and investment sales advisory.

With roots dating back to 1937 and its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, Walker & Dunlop has expanded its platform through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.